Home Trust to close on rental property

The Home Trust of Ouray County is scheduled to close next month on the purchase of this property at 835 Second St. in Ouray. The nonprofit organization plans to remodel the triplex into five units and retain it as affordable housing. It will be the second time the Home Trust has bought a multi-family home to conserve it as affordable housing, joining a six-unit apartment building at 734 Fourth St. in 2023. Photo by Lia Salvatierra | Ouray County Plaindealer

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By Lia Salvatierra lia@ouraynews.com on June 18, 2025

Ouray triplex will be retained as affordable housing

Five new affordable rental units are coming to the city of Ouray, as the Home Trust of Ouray County will close next month on its second affordable housing acquisition.

Main, News...

AFFORDABLE HOUSING PRESERVED

Saving Swiss Village

Collaboration to buy Ouray mobile home park could serve as model elsewhere in Colorado, as residents celebrate with applause, tears

By Mike Wiggins mike@ouraynews.com

June 18, 2025

It took an attorney willing to work for free and hop on a midnight phone call in the middle of her vacation. It took two couples who had never met before performing remarkable acts of generosity and h...

Main, News...

Fireworks shot at homes

Council enacts blanket ban as police look for truck

By By Mike Wiggins, Erin McIntyre and Deb Hurley Brobst mike@ouraynews.com erin@ouraynews.com deb.hurley.brobst@gmail.com

June 18, 2025

Ouray city leaders moved swiftly this week to ban all personal fireworks in the city, days after homes near Lee’s Ski Hill were shot with a barrage of pyrotechnics on Sunday night that ignited multipl...

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MKT-5894O-A AECSPAD

Sex assault trial delayed

Defense seeks DNA expert; attorneys disagree on possible venue change

By Mike Wiggins mike@ouraynews.com

June 18, 2025

The trial of one of three men accused of sexually assaulting a 17-year-old girl inside the home of the former Ouray police chief has been delayed. Nate Dieffenderffer, 20, was scheduled to stand trial...

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City pulls back on plans for Fellin Park stage

Search on for funding as price tag drops to between $1M and $1.6M

By Deb Hurley Brobst Special to the Plaindealer

June 18, 2025

Ouray city councilors are much happier with revised plans for a permanent stage in Fellin Park. Now the challenge is finding money to pay for it. Councilors on Monday looked at two scenarios that drop...

Letters, Opinion...

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

RV Park’s treatment has long-lasting effect

June 18, 2025

Dear Editor: My mother and father bought a trailer at the 4J+1+1 RV Park in 2005 and loved living there. My mom even lived there alone for 10 years after my dad passed. She is getting older so we buil...

Letters, Opinion...

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

Commit to climate action

June 18, 2025

Dear Editor: I salute Hansa Devi and the Ridgway Town Council for their part in making Ridgway, Colorado, the first in the world to fly the Earth Flag! In 2023 the Pew Research Center study found that...

Letters, Opinion...

New building a wart on face of mountain

June 18, 2025

Dear Editor: During the past few months myself, valley floor ranch folks, Ridgway residents and others have been asking about the building that has been under construction for a period of time located...

Looking Back

June 18, 2025

50 Years Ago June 19, 1975 Dick Guadagno, Ridgway, came to the Ouray City Council meeting Monday night to ask council approval of a project to renovate the historic Horsethief Trail this summer. Guada...

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SMPA delays Ouray work until August

Power cooperative vows to improve communication with city

By Deb Hurley Brobst Special to the Plaindealer

June 18, 2025

San Miguel Power Association is postponing work to replace power poles and more in the city of Ouray until late August because of delays in getting supplies. The company rescheduled the dates earlier ...

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City seeks parking solutions

Priorities: Turnover on Main Street, more parking on side streets

By Lia Salvatierra lia@ouraynews.com

June 18, 2025

Ouray city leaders want to encourage turnover of parking spaces on Main Street and utilize more parking on side streets, while creating more enforceable parking rules. Those were just some of the prio...

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County enhances emergency planning

To prepare for various threats, officials update disaster mitigation plans, create evacuation plan

By Lia Salvatierra lia@ouraynews.com

June 18, 2025

After years of work, Ouray County has refreshed its emergency readiness capabilities by updating three disaster mitigation plans and adopting an official evacuation plan, all in an effort to prepare t...

Remote-triggered avalanche in San Juan Mountains

First responders receive first COVID-19 vaccines